Morphinizin' Chroma Corps Sneak Peek! (Patreon)

Hey folks! After chatting with Virgil Knightley, he's going to be dropping a few chapters of Morphinizin' Chroma Corps for his patrons, so I wanted to do the same for you folks. Here's the first four chapters! This will only be up for a few days (will be going down on 3/7) to comply with KU requirements, but I wanted to drop it anyway.

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

Until the moment he and Tanya saw that glowing red meteorite land in the middle of the abandoned Smithfield factory, Jason Caulfield had finally felt his life was on track.

He’d triumphed in every local martial arts tournament he could enter, establishing a name for himself across the state, and had even claimed victory in two regional competitions within driving distance. At only twenty-three years old, he’d already earned his BS in political science and had less than two years left in his three-year juris doctor program. Furthermore, he and Tanya Lee, his first serious girlfriend, had both secured internships with the same law firm in town.

So why in the hell were they out here in the cold, in the middle of the night, about to commit criminal trespassing in hopes of seeing a gosh darn space rock?

Just ahead, Tanya led the way toward the abandoned security gate with the same brash confidence that had drawn Jason to her six months ago. He’d first noticed her pummeling a bag with expert strikes and high kicks, and had offered to hold it for her. She’d simply grunted a reply.

That encounter had sparked six months of dating and the best sex of his life. Now, Tanya’s heels echoed off the concrete as her stocking-clad legs closed the gap between curiosity and criminality. All attempts at reasoning with her had fallen on deaf ears.

It wasn’t that Jason would have minded following his attractive girlfriend to a remote and deserted location under less troubling circumstances. Tanya’s toned figure looked fantastic in her short black pencil skirt, and since she had left her equally black blazer in her BMW, she now wore only a thin striped button-up shirt that clung to her small but perky breasts. The wind playfully tugged at her dark, glossy hair, which typically cascaded to the middle of her back.

As Tanya reached the chain-link security gate—which Jason realized, to his horror, was swinging open instead of locked—he decided to make one last attempt for sanity rather than jail. Perhaps this was just another of Tanya’s “love tests.” Maybe, as she had attempted multiple times since they started dating, Tanya merely wanted to confirm how far he’d go to keep her safe.

He slowed and called out, “Hey, babe? I know you love the idea of finding this meteorite before anyone else, but the sign back there was pretty clear. No trespassing. This place is already falling apart, so it’s not safe to wander around at night.”

As she pushed open the gate, which emitted a traitorous squeak, Tanya paused with her long, manicured fingers wrapped around the chain-link. She glanced at him in disdain, her dark eyes narrowing. Her expression was suddenly colder and more disinterested than he’d seen since the day he spotted her pummeling that bag in the gym, all alone.

What had gotten into her tonight?

“I already informed you, Jason, you aren’t required to accompany me.”

He tried the same approach he’d used when they had pulled up to the concrete barriers that prevented cars from driving up to the gates in her BMW, after abandoning the chance to attend an office party that would change their lives… if she said yes.

“I can’t let you just wander around here alone. What if a loose floorboard collapses, or something falls on you, or you run into junkies?”

“Then I will deal with them in the same manner you would.” Tanya turned away in obvious annoyance and pushed the gate open. “If you’re afraid of holes and heroin addicts, maybe you should wait out here.” She strode confidently onto the factory grounds.

As Tanya stepped over the line, both literally and figuratively, Jason hurried after her, suppressing his growing frustration. “You know I can’t do that. Just... slow down!”

Tonight, Tanya was acting so out-of-character that Jason couldn’t make heads or tails of it. She’d always been driven and assertive—her take-no-prisoners approach to life had initially attracted him to her—but she’d also been warm and even kind, at least to him. Until her, Jason had never met a woman who shared all the same passions he did.

His worry about losing his law firm internship over a trespassing charge battled against his protective instincts, but his instincts overwhelmed his worries. He couldn’t just let Tanya go off searching for this space rock without physically restraining her, which he wasn’t about to do. He couldn’t allow her to wander around an abandoned factory alone, where one poorly placed board could snap under her weight.

He couldn’t let his worries about losing the opportunity he’d spent six years hoping to earn deter him from keeping Tanya safe. If there was one thing Jason had vowed never to do after his father passed, it was to turn away from someone who needed his protection. Tanya could handle herself if a couple of junkies tried to mug her, but she wouldn’t stand a chance if a rusty steel beam fell on her leg.

By the time Jason crossed over the property line, officially crossing into trespassing territory, Tanya was already halfway to a set of old warehouses. Their blacked-out windows had long been shattered by rocks or bottles. As he quickened his pace to catch up with her, the stiff winter wind gnawed at him. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his red hoodie.

His bright hoodie stood out like a sore thumb if anyone was watching this abandoned factory from the road, which was just one more reason not to trespass on private property because a meteor might have landed nearby. Still, ever since he was little, Jason had loved the color red. It represented drive, passion, and love.

He certainly had the first two. The third had proven more elusive. Given how much of his life he devoted to training for martial arts tournaments and spending long nights studying to maximize his grades, he’d had to choose between his aspirations and his love life.

Until now. Until Tanya. She was the first woman he’d met who understood what his goals meant to him because she shared the same ambitions. She wanted to challenge her body with martial arts and push herself to her physical limits. She aimed to earn her law degree. And she wanted love.

Or so she claimed as she consistently tested him to see if he could keep pace with her.

He finally caught up with Tanya as they walked together into the dark alley between two looming buildings. While driving to the office party, they had both witnessed that bright red meteor land inside this old factory. Now, Jason figured the best course of action was to look around and leave before someone spotted them and called the police.

At least this factory was remote. They wouldn’t even have been traveling on the two-lane asphalt road that led by it if not for Tanya’s GPS suddenly going haywire. They’d also arrived here in her BMW, so it wasn’t like he could just stroll back into town.

Then, just ahead of them, Jason spotted the faint red glow flickering against the walls of an abandoned concrete building. His first instinct was to think it was just some hobos huddled around a fire barrel, but the red glow didn’t flicker so much as... pulse. It felt as though he could hear it pulse, even though it wasn’t making any physical noise.

The alien sensation made his heart pound, but not in a good way.

With a satisfied huff, Tanya stopped and smiled at him. Yet there was something different in her smile. This wasn’t merely her sexy competitive streak manifesting; this was a taunt.

“I was correct. The meteor did land here, just as I surmised.”

As she strode forward again, Jason grabbed her arm and physically restrained her for the first time since they’d arrived. He half-expected her to try to break free, but instead, she merely fixed him with a cold, disdainful expression. Who was this woman?

He focused on justifying his actions. “Okay, you were right. Some big space rock landed in an old building, which is really cool. But what if it’s radioactive? Or it came through some building’s roof and compromised the structure? We can’t just walk up and grab it.”

“Release my arm, Jason.”

He let her go at once, though only because his determination to never do anything a woman wouldn’t want landed a cheap shot on his protective instincts. “Look, all I’m saying is we should be careful. We’ll just take a look at it, all right? We won’t get too close.”

As Tanya took a step back and crossed her arms beneath her chest, she remained absurdly attractive in that tight button-down shirt. Yet her expression was now as cold as ice. “Very well, then. If you’re that worried about me, you may take the lead.”

So, rather than letting Tanya approach a possibly radioactive space rock, she was asking him to do it instead. As his girlfriend’s calm dark eyes challenged his, he knew he couldn’t talk her into walking out of this factory and heading to the office party. Not until they got to see the cool space rock.

It didn’t matter that he might end up exposed to a radioactive meteor from space. It didn’t matter that a building might collapse on him. All that mattered was that walking around the corner and verifying that a meteor had landed here would keep Tanya from getting hurt.

All his life, Jason had wanted to protect people. That was why he’d worked to master martial arts and why he was training to be a defense lawyer. If he didn’t protect Tanya tonight, why had he spent all those years working his butt off on the mats and in class?

He smiled a confident grin he hoped would reassure her. “All right. I’ll go see what we’re dealing with. But you have to promise to stay here in the alley until I say it’s safe.”

Still hugging herself, she nodded stiffly. “Go on, then. Investigate. I will remain here.”

Ever since he’d met her, the way Tanya spoke had always seemed overly formal. Tonight, her odd speech felt even more pronounced, likely due to the bizarre situation. Strange night. Unusual alien space rock. Of course this all felt off.

Jason closed his eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath. Just like he did before stepping onto the mats, he took a moment to push aside all the minor inconveniences and worries of his tumultuous days and find his inner strength. The burning core of his warrior’s heart.

To Jason, martial arts wasn’t just about punching people. It was about learning to listen to his own body and pushing it to its limits without breaking in the process. Just like stretching before a run, centering himself before tackling a dangerous situation was essential for keeping himself and anyone he chose to protect safe.

When he opened his eyes to investigate the space rock, Tanya was gone.

Chapter 2

Jason blinked rapidly to make sense of the situation. “Babe?”

He was now the only person in the narrow alley. The wind outside the buildings whistled mournfully, and loose papers crinkled as they rolled across the concrete. That gosh darn blinking red pulse he could feel rather than hear grew louder with each beat.

Tanya was gone. His girlfriend was missing. All he’d done was close his eyes for a brief moment, but in that instant, he’d failed her.

“Tanya!” Jason shouted her name in worry down the alley, but hesitated as he turned back toward her car. How had she slipped out of this place?

This alley was fifty paces long, and she couldn’t have covered that distance unless she was an Olympic sprinter with rockets on her high heels. His heart thumped as he realized what she’d done instead. While he centered himself, she’d dashed out to look at the space rock.

She’d tricked him to run ahead and potentially get herself hurt!

Jason sprinted from the alley, heading toward the pulsing red light, then almost tripped over his own feet as he took in the bizarre sight. If he had expected anything, it was to see a small stone that had landed in a grassy field or perhaps a pile of rubble in the center of the concrete square surrounded by four abandoned buildings.

What he didn’t expect was to see a smoking space rock the size of a Volkswagen.

The pill-shaped mass of uneven, still simmering rock sat half-embedded in a concrete crater, with steam billowing as if it were boiling inside. The rock pulsed red every second or so, like a heartbeat. Each whump matched his own pulse.

Jason’s steps synchronized with his heartbeat, merging with the rhythm of the space rock. Every step brought him closer, and every pulse felt linked to his breath. The alien space rock... called to him. It beckoned to the brave and burning heart inside his chest.

Which was why he almost wasn’t quick enough to dodge the gray-gloved fist that swung dangerously close to his face.

As instincts honed by a decade on the mats took over, Jason’s body broke the spell. He veered away from the attacker’s swing, allowing their gray fist to pass inches from his nose. He retaliated with an open-palmed punch aimed at their stomach.

His blow connected with a satisfying thump, staggering his mysterious foe and sending them wobbling backward. The assailant windmilled their arms, barely maintaining balance as they took five steps back. Finally, they regained their footing and popped into a sidelong fighting stance.

Jason couldn’t help but gawk as he instinctively squared up to face his ambusher. The attacker wore gray clothing and boots—was that spandex?—along with bright red wristbands and a red belt that broke up what would otherwise be a single color. Their fists were not bare but wrapped in the same gray material as the rest of their outfit.

Stranger still, the gray-suited man had antennae—bizarre as it seemed, Jason couldn’t envision them as anything else—growing from the top of his latex-covered head. How could he even see?

As the gray-clad, antennaed man lunged again, Jason stopped asking questions and focused on self-defense. His body reacted instinctively, as it always did.

Having participated in countless martial arts tournaments, Jason was adept at quickly assessing his opponents. While the first few strikes from his attacker were easily blocked or dodged, they gave him insight into who he was up against—and renewed hope.

His opponent was fast but lacked power, focusing on landing blows that would throw an adversary off balance rather than knock them out. The attacker also seemed to prefer punches over kicks, although the few kicks thrown looked powerful enough; they simply didn’t connect.

Jason allowed his new opponent the privilege of failing to strike him while he gathered the information he needed. With the kind of speed people still talked about after watching him in tournaments, he effortlessly slipped past a wide kick and delivered an open-palmed, brain-rattling punch to the nose hidden beneath the gray mask.

His body remained in fight mode, moving and reacting without conscious thought, but his mind was catching up. Whoever this man was, no matter how strangely he was dressed, he was not supposed to be there. Moreover, he had attacked Jason without warning.

This man obviously intended Jason ill, which meant there was no hesitation as he slammed his palm into the aggressor’s nose with such force that the gray-suited man crumpled like a house of cards. As his defeated opponent flopped onto his back and bounced before lying still, the scuffing of feet on concrete warned Jason that they were no longer alone.

He effortlessly shifted his stance to put his back against the pulsing space rock, the only way to prevent the attackers from getting behind him. And they were attackers, six more of them, all dressed in identical gray spandex suits with the same bobbing antenna as the first.

What in the hell was going on out here? Had he and Tanya stumbled into the middle of a film crew shooting illegally in an abandoned factory at night to avoid paying a fee to the city? Had they mistakenly taken him for an extra? Or was he the hero of this particular movie?

As the six remaining aliens—for the sake of keeping his mind clear, he’d simply categorize them as aliens, since that’s what they looked like—spread out to encircle him, Jason scowled, brushed his nose with one thumb, and bounced on his feet to keep them guessing.

“Where’s Tanya?” His girlfriend was the reason he was out here, after all, and the reason he didn’t simply sprint past these guys to the BMW. “Did one of you jokers snatch her?”

He expected the alien attackers to charge him as a unit, hoping to overwhelm him with their superior numbers and raw speed. Instead, the closest one charged in a showy weave. He danced left and right with the grace of a professional ballet dancer.

So these gray-suited weirdos wanted to fight him one-on-one, did they? Jason could actually respect that. He would also teach them to respect him.

The bobbing, weaving alien continued its erratic movement until Jason floored it with one lightning-fast punch. The next one rushed in the moment the second dropped but attacked like a brawler. Jason blocked and sidestepped, evading or stopping each frantic blow before tripping his opponent and sending it flying into the massive space rock.

The alien he’d just tripped collided with the rock as if trying to drive its head through it. It bounced off with an almost comical bonking sound before flopping onto its back. The next two aliens approached as a team, which was the first real challenge Jason had faced.

Despite his worry about Tanya and his shock at being attacked by gray-suited aliens in an old factory, Jason was beginning to enjoy this fight. The way his heart pounded in his chest and the burn in his lungs signaled that his body was embracing the challenge, as it always did.

Fighting two opponents simultaneously was always more difficult than facing one, but unfortunately for these aliens, they didn’t know how to coordinate. Jason feinted, dodged, and blocked until one alien overextended its desperate punch. He buried an open palm in its gut. As the alien bent in half and the air left its lungs, the other leapt at him.

Jason tossed his shoulder into the first alien, sending it crashing into the path of the second. The two aliens collided and fell into a tangled heap of gray limbs. Their antennas wobbled wildly as their bodies flopped like rubber.

The last two aliens exchanged glances and stepped back, clearly alarmed by the fate of their comrades. Jason slammed his fists together and flashed his most menacing grin.

“Play time’s over, you gray-skinned beanbags! What’d you do with my girl?!”

After Jason’s taunt, a hot surge of energy coursed through his muscles. Although he had undergone plenty of endurance training and could sustain a fight for an extended period, taking down five opponents in succession had nearly winded him. He had hurled that challenge at the last two, hoping they would hesitate before attacking, giving him a moment to catch his breath.

Yet the instant he taunted these aliens, it felt as if he’d chugged an energy drink in one gulp. Any fatigue he had experienced during the previous five bouts dissolved beneath the heat of his fiery passion for martial arts. A heady rush washed over him as the aliens returned to their fighting stances, though he could see, from their quivering forms, that their confidence was shaken.

Was he dreaming? Was this some bizarre fantasy he had fallen into after another long night in the gym? If this was a dream, he wasn’t going to wake up until he found Tanya. Even in a dream, he wouldn’t let down a woman he had vowed to protect.

As he strode forward with his hands raised, Jason glared at both aliens in turn. “You hand her over right now, dirtbags! Or I’ll make you go night-night just like your buddies here!”

Again, that strange flash of energy surged through his muscles, and this time, Jason could swear he felt and heard fireworks exploding behind him. Taunting his opponents invigorated him in a way it hadn’t before. To be fair, it was considered poor sportsmanship to taunt rivals in martial arts tournaments. Jason was nothing if not a good sport.

Still, he didn’t get the chance to press the aliens further or find Tanya. A sudden wind, strong enough to knock him off balance, made him take a step back. A booming female voice echoed from the sky, sounding as if a high-pitched woman were wielding a megaphone.

“Fools! Are you incapable of handling a mere Earthling?”

Jason stared up at the brightening night sky. Even though he couldn’t believe what he was witnessing, he was witnessing it. A figure—a woman—was descending from the heavens on what he could only describe as shimmering trails of laser-like silk.

There was an honest-to-God silver flying saucer above her, attached to lines of glimmering thread. Hanging from the saucer, she descended from the heavens like a spider hunting its prey. Also... why was she weirdly hot?

She wasn’t a spider in human form, at least; she had only two legs, both long and shapely. She wore black thigh-high stockings that rose from tall heels, which seemed impractical for fighting in an abandoned factory, but those heels looked really good on her.

Her lithe physique was unmistakably that of a fighter, evident in the muscles of her bare thighs. She wore a low-cut black outfit that looked similar to the red fighting outfit worn by that lady with the huge boobs and fan in the popular fighting game he used to play in the arcade. It exposed both her impressive cleavage and most of her thighs. If she turned, she’d definitely flash some butt cheeks.

The strip of cloth hanging between her legs featured a red and black spider, and with the way her outfit hugged her curves, well... Jason wouldn’t want to be caught focusing too much on those if she challenged him to a fight. While he hated the thought of punching a woman in the chest, he might be forced to if she was an alien.

Finally, the newcomer wore a mask that concealed her features except for her long, glossy, flowing black hair. The mask had eight glittering golden eyes and ended in a set of spiky mandibles that jutted out on either side of her chin. Her lips were plump and jet black.

So, she was some bizarre sort of... sexy alien spider lady. It was clear she was working with the gray-skinned aliens, which meant she could be the woman who’d abducted Tanya. Had this spider lady drawn Tanya into her UFO?

With a click of her very long heels, the woman landed with all the grace of the spider painted on the strip of cloth hanging between her thighs. As she fell into a fighting stance that Jason immediately recognized as that of an expert, he experienced another shock—this one less pleasant.

The alluring black alien spider lady was also wearing a golden backpack. From it, four more spindly golden arms extended, locking into fighting positions that complemented her own. So, she really was a spider, at least when those four extra golden limbs were considered.

She had just lowered herself like a trapeze artist from a flying saucer, now adorned in some sort of freaky gold alien spider armor that slowly faded into existence as she made her descent. This obviously wasn’t going to be a fair fight, and it was equally apparent that the gray-skinned antenna guys were no match for him.

Jason considered sprinting for the BMW, but that would mean abandoning Tanya to the aliens. As crazy as it felt, he now had no doubt that these gray-skinned attackers and their sexy spider lady leader were indeed aliens. This wasn’t another love test from Tanya.

No independent film crew she could afford would have a special effects budget this big.

Chapter 3

With a seductive sway of her hips and a clicking of heels, the woman in the black outfit, black thigh-highs, and black stilettos extended four golden spider limbs as she approached. As she strutted confidently toward him, Jason felt his earlier burst of energy fade.

Was she targeting him with some sort of alien ray that drained vitality? While he’d felt invigorated before, the moment the spider lady arrived with her incredibly dramatic entrance, it was as though his strength had drained out through his toes.

It felt like her confidence was siphoning the energy right out of him.

The sensation of lethargy only worsened when the spider lady slammed one heel onto the ground, pivoted to present her lithe and curvy form in profile, and tossed her hair back over her shoulder with the grace of a professional runway model. Behind her, what appeared to be spectral black and yellow fireworks exploded in front of Jason’s disbelieving eyes.

“Ha! I see the fear coiling inside your chest, Earthling man, like a poison injected deep into your soul! You no longer face my little grey men! Now, you face... Tyrantulady!”

In that moment, whatever hold the lightly-clothed  spider hottie had over Jason snapped like a web severed by a machete. His energy surged back into his previously lethargic body, though it wasn’t as intense as it had been before. He merely felt confused now.

He raised one hand to call for a break. “Hold on. Your name is Ty-Rent-A-Lady?”

Her lovely black lips gasped. “You mock me?” The way her confident posture eased suggested his derisive response had somehow... hurt her feelings? No. Really?

Jason raised his other hand to placate her, even though he wasn’t entirely sure why he was concerned about the feelings of an evil spider lady from outer space. It felt wrong to ridicule her name after she’d put so much effort into this entrance, which was undeniably impressive.

“No, I’m not... I mean, it’s fine. But what do you mean by ‘rent a lady’?”

She huffed and stomped one heel. “Ty-rant. Like tyrant. Because I am tyrannical. And, it’s a double entendre because I have these poisonous, golden spider limbs, like my deadly namesake…” As she thrust out one hand, spectral fireworks burst behind her, and she finished her thought. “The tarantula!”

Jason frowned, though he did more or less have the firework thing from earlier confirmed. “I mean, tarantulas aren’t even poisonous. They’re barely venomous, but that’s not the same thing. They’re larger than some other spiders, but pretty harmless to humans, and some people even keep them as—”

“Petulant fool! Stop posturing!” Tyrantulady stomped into a sidelong fighting stance and mockingly beckoned with one hand. “Step forward, Earthling, and face your doom!”

Jason was growing increasingly uncertain about this whole situation. “Actually, maybe I’ll just leave? I mean, you obviously put a lot of work into this abduction attempt, which I appreciate, but are you just here to take back your space rock? Because if that’s the case, you can have it.”

“It is far too late for escape, Jason Caulfield. No puny Earth fly escapes my web!”

How did she know his name? As Tyrantulady swayed her hips and approached with newfound confidence, Jason felt himself wobble. He again sensed his strength and energy siphoning away. His opponent definitely possessed some sort of alien mind control powers or an energy-draining ray.

Her voice turned sultry as she drew nearer. “Don’t fight it, Jason. Give in to your despair. Embrace your doom like I will embrace your dying body... as it dies!”

Dialogue aside, each taunt from the alien woman, combined with each seductive sway of her hips, left Jason feeling more dizzy and weak. He wouldn’t escape or defeat her if he kept swaying like an incapacitated drunk. Spotting the two remaining gray-skinned aliens creeping forward, and recalling what he’d done to the others, a desperate gambit formed in his mind.

He couldn’t run away. He couldn’t fall in battle. Tanya still needed him to rescue her.

With a determined huff, Jason closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He shifted his focus away from the web of lethargy clinging to his muscles and concentrated on the burning core of a fighter within him—the drive to succeed and his passion for martial arts. He unearthed his inner strength.

Deep inside him glowed the pure red fire of his heart. Tyrantulady sought to ensnare it with her confidence and swagger, but Jason’s passionate heart proved too resilient for her darkness. As he honed in on his heart, its rhythm intensified.

Just like the steady pulsing emanating from the space rock at his back.

With a furious cry, Jason broke the webs entangling his heart. He slammed one foot down with an energy that rippled through his body like a gas fireplace igniting. He pivoted to face Tyrantulady directly and struck a closed fist into an open palm.

As the sensation of red and white fireworks exploded behind him, flooding his muscles, he felt invigorated. “I’ll never surrender to you, Tyrantulady. Your web of evil can never contain the blazing fires of my burning heart. Now, before I turn you into pulp, release Tanya!”

Tyrantulady stumbled. It was just one stumble, and she recovered quickly, but Jason grinned as he realized his desperate tactic had somehow worked. He didn’t understand why taunting her had broken her spell over him and even weakened her, but it seemed that the power of posturing through pre-battle banter was powerful on both sides of the battlefield. 

Regardless, he was now ready to fight. Even if she possessed golden spider arms, he wouldn’t allow the aliens to abduct his girlfriend.

Before Tyrantulady could regain her composure, Jason charged in. It might have been considered unsportsmanlike to attack his opponent before she was ready, but he needed to save Tanya. He wasn’t sure if the aliens wanted this rock or something else, but rescuing his girlfriend took precedence.

Tyrantulady blocked his first punch as effortlessly as he had deflected the strike from the gray-suited alien with antennas. Her return strike was so quick he barely managed to evade it. As her soft palm and long black nails swept past his nose, he felt the rush of air where they had been.

As she advanced with a flurry of limbs and fury, and as he charged forward with the righteous anger of a man determined to save his girlfriend from aliens, their limbs crashed together in a whirlwind of expertly choreographed martial arts. Unlike the gray-suited aliens, Tyrantulady was clearly an incredibly skilled fighter.

Had they met on the mats, Jason would have eagerly sought to train with her daily. While he struggled to counter each of her strikes and she similarly dodged his attacks, it felt as though they were evenly matched. He had never encountered a fighter who could rival him on the mats, especially after all the training he had undergone, and he had long feared he had “peaked” because of it.

A fighter’s growth depended greatly on the opponents they faced. When there are no challengers anywhere in the tri-state area, even the most powerful warriors risk stagnating. Facing Tyrantulady served as a stark reminder of how complacent he had become in local bouts and even regionals.

When her first lightning-fast kick connected with his ribs, it struck hard enough to send him stumbling sideways. A tantalizing glimpse of her muscular thigh was his only consolation as he grunted in pain. He managed to keep his balance, but only by leaping back with a defensive kick.

She was on him in an instant, and this time, she also attempted to pummel him with the tips of her agile golden spider arms. With all her limbs—arms, legs, and additional spidery arms—he now faced four attackers instead of one. Even his extensive training couldn’t help him hold his ground.

With a chilling “Ki-yah!” Tyrantulady unleashed a powerful kick. It likely would have blown out his midsection if he hadn’t braced himself at the last moment with both arms. Even so, the impact physically lifted him off the ground. All Jason could do was flail until he slammed against a wall.

Or a giant rock from outer space.

With his breath gone and his chest aflame, it felt like she’d fractured every one of his ribs. Collapsing to his knees against the rock, he coughed up blood. Tyrantulady’s painted black lips curled into a victorious grin.

With her hips swaying in an annoyingly seductive manner, she advanced. “Where are your taunts now, foolish Earthling? Where is your mockery? Where are the glowing embers of your burning heart? Extinguished! Like fire before an... extinguisher!”

As his chest ached, Jason’s heart felt like it was about to pump right out of his shattered ribcage. Each thump struck him like a gut punch, and the pulsing sensation was growing in his head, too. The space rock, just as it had upon his first sight of it, called to him.

Determined not to surrender, even to a seductive alien spider lady from the stars who was clearly a black belt in Karate and Tae Kwon Do, Jason tapped into his inner strength. With a howl that was more beast than man, he formed a tight fist. Then, he punched into the alien space rock with whatever strength remained in his muscles.

Deep inside the rock’s oddly warm interior, his hand closed around a gem. Warm, red light flooded through him. He felt his body ignite.

This wasn’t a physical burning; he didn’t actually catch fire. But as the pain from his fractured ribs and the desperate void in his chest burned away within the flames of the alien space rock’s hidden red core, Jason felt as if he’d just inhaled fifty energy drinks.

And without any explanation, he suddenly donned a tight suit of red spandex that hugged his muscles, a silver belt with an empty holster, and pockets filled with who knew what, as well as a helmet he instinctively knew was red.

With a howl, Jason rose and stomped one of the red boots now on his feet. It landed with enough force that the ground beneath it physically cracked. A spiderweb-like split in the concrete pointed toward Tyrantulady, who had paused in shock. In that moment, Jason felt his muscles grow.

This wasn’t physical growth. His muscles weren’t larger, but stronger. Muscles that had already been toned and impressive from a decade in the gym now felt as if they were three times as dense and four times as powerful.

Rather than attacking again, Tyrantulady pointed desperately. “Finish him, fools!”

Whether they were intimidated by her or simply overconfident, the last two gray-suited aliens rushed him as a team. Time slowed around Jason as the world grew sluggish, and the aliens’ sprinting advance transformed into a crawl. He had all day to counter them.

So, he decided to test his strength and speed by unleashing a roundhouse kick.

Roundhouse kicks were rarely used in competition. They were slow, easily telegraphed, and made it simple for an opponent to knock the supporting leg out from under you. But this was no longer a competition, and Jason was no longer a normal man.

He had just ignited a righteous inferno inside his already burning warrior’s heart, and now he reveled in a red spandex suit that made him feel like he had tapped into the power of a god.

His roundhouse kick swung around at a normal pace for him, but to the dramatically slowed-down aliens, it must have seemed like a helicopter blade. As his red boot connected with the chest of one alien, he struck it so hard that it momentarily lifted off the ground, just as he had done moments ago.

The alien didn’t fall. It flew, catapulted through the air by his powerful kick like a basketball tossed toward a hoop from halfcourt. The alien soared over one of the concrete buildings and, with a deafening crash, landed on the roof.

Time sped up as Jason casually sidestepped the punch from the other. He watched its likely lightning-fast strike flow by like a grandma navigating her sedan through any icy parking lot on Christmas. He responded with a punch using one of the tight red and white gloves that had miraculously appeared on his fists, and his blow had the same effect as his kick.

His open-palmed strike lifted the alien off its feet, sending it, like its companion, flying over the factory to slam into a wall. It slid down and flopped, limp, to the floor. Too late, Jason wondered if he had killed it. While he desired victory, he hadn’t wanted that.

With one last flop, the alien turned and groaned. Still alive.

Relieved, Jason turned to face Tyrantulady, finding her still gawking at him from afar. The fact that she hadn’t advanced told him that now, having seized the core of this red space rock, he finally had the upper hand. At some point after grabbing it, the core had vanished, but now it pulsed inside him, stoking the fires of his burning heart.

As Jason slammed his gloved fists together and centered his stance, he returned to a fight that was still not fair... but this time, the advantage was his. The sexy alien spider lady wasn’t the only one sporting a cool outfit; he had one too, and it was red.

“One more chance, Tyrantulady. Release Tanya, or you will face the might of my warrior soul!” As he finished his taunt, Jason reflexively pivoted his body and flexed in his tight spandex, striking a new pose with every other syllable.

The posing felt even more empowering than his taunt. Between his confident words and his odd desire to pose like a strongman, the resulting burst of mental fireworks was like an explosion erupting behind him. He could feel the pyrotechnics.

Tyrantulady stumbled back, then regained her balance. “No. I cannot fail. I will not go back!”

She charged again, as she had before, but this time, Jason was ready. Her once lightning-fast movements had slowed to normal speed, reminding him of just how fast she actually was. Even so, he easily dodged and blocked her golden and human limbs. Once he was certain he could, he put her on the defensive.

Over the course of thirty seconds of brutal exchanges, Jason snapped one spider arm, then another, before spinning Tyrantulady around and delivering a powerful kick to her back. She slammed face-first into a concrete wall. He ripped the golden backpack off her and tossed it aside, then spun her back to deliver the final blow.

As Tyrantulady dropped onto her butt with a scandalously revealing flap of her low-cut fighting outfit, her knees slammed together to maintain modesty. She was out of the fight. Worse, the impact with the wall had cracked her mask, leaving four of her eyes missing... along with one of her mandibles.

As Jason stared at the smooth, alluring Asian face revealed by the cracked mask, he belatedly recognized her. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t dare believe it.

“Tanya?”

He felt as if she’d just shoved a golden limb right through his burning heart.

With a howl, Tanya clawed her way up the wall and raised one hand, preparing herself. “This isn’t over, Jason Caulfield! You haven’t won! I will return, and I will finally defeat you!” Then, she cackled like a witch.

Before he could respond or ask what this was all about, Tanya tossed a small black ball at the concrete. The resulting explosion of smoke and flames was so powerful that Jason stumbled back, coughing as he waved his hand in front of his face.

When he could finally see again, Tanya had vanished. The gray-suited aliens were also gone, and even the alien space rock had disappeared. It left only a smoking crater in its place.

As he spotted the silver saucer zipping off into the distance, Jason glanced down at the white and red gloves he’d somehow come to wear during the fight, along with the red suit. It was tight and fit his muscles perfectly, as if it were made just for him. The material felt breathable and cool.

He fumbled at his head to confirm he was indeed wearing a helmet, which he assumed was also red. The dark visor allowed him to maintain most of his vision, and the cool mask made it easy to breathe.

Yet, it wasn’t the bizarre getup that unsettled him. It was the shocking realization that Tyrantulady had been Tanya all along. How had he not noticed it was her by her kicks and dodges? Maybe the absurdity of it all put blinders on his brain. His hot Asian girlfriend had dragged him out to this factory to ambush him beside a space rock? Make it make sense.

That was one hell of a test of love.

Jason’s next question felt even more critical. It threatened to extinguish the fire in his burning heart. He had always been confident in martial arts and the courtroom, but love? Love had proven to be tricky.

Had it all been a lie? Were Tanya’s smiles, her tender touches, and the way she cuddled after mind-blowing sex all falsehoods? Had she spent six months with him just to lure him here? And why?!

And given that he’d seen Tanya naked, how had he not known he was dating an alien?

Chapter 4

The day after learning he’d been dating an alien for six months, Jason Caulfield stood in an empty locker room, psyching himself up for a fight. He had just eaten a healthy, carb-filled lunch, chugged an entire sports drink, and was boxing his shadow to warm up. The pounding of his warrior’s heart filled his ears, accompanied by the rock music from his earbuds.

Hearing the classic riffs and inspiring vocals of Survivor always motivated him for battle.

Today marked the final set of matches in the tri-state karate tournament. He had already triumphed in two smaller tournaments to earn his spot here, and soon he would step out onto the mats once more. In front of a cheering crowd, he would face the best fighters around.

So, why did it feel like he was just going through the motions?

Even now, last night at the factory felt like a bizarre and unsettling dream. Yet it wasn’t a dream. If he returned to Tanya’s place, her BMW would be parked in the lot of her apartment. He had driven it back to town after she left in her flying saucer.

His now ex-girlfriend had abandoned her keys and car when she flew away. She had also left her apartment, filled with all her belongings, which Jason had verified since he had a key and checked inside. He’d half-expected to find her sleeping in her bed, wearing her slim panties and one of the sexy chemise tops she donned at night, but the bed had been empty.

As he stared at that unoccupied bed, he realized he actually missed her.

Was this heartache? His fierce warrior’s heart wasn’t burning quite as brightly today. The woman he had thought might want to share her life with him had not only betrayed him last night but had also turned out to be a sultry, evil spider lady from outer space.

Without a doubt, it had been the most traumatic breakup of his life.

Yet the breakup wasn’t the sole reason he felt so low today. Ever since last night, ever since he finally faced a real fight with genuine stakes, Jason had been unable to stop thinking about it. The thrill of knowing his opponents wouldn’t hold back.

Even the toughest opponents he faced on the mats had never tried to kill him. Injuries could occur in refereed fights, even fatal ones, but they were rare in modern tournaments. One fighter certainly never attempted to kill another. That would be a big no-no.

Before last night, the excitement of facing a skilled competitor on the mats had felt like steroids injected into the spiritual artery most directly connected to his mighty warrior’s heart. Yet after confronting aliens from outer space and taking them down, how could any refereed match compare?

Taking down space aliens was badass!

Jason slapped his own face rapidly, as if he’d just applied aftershave. He couldn’t think like that. He couldn’t get thrilled by the idea of nearly dying when a group of aliens in gray spandex tried to overpower him, even knowing he’d triumphed over them.

Only weirdos found excitement in that, and he wasn’t a weirdo. Was he? No. Definitely not.

Tanya turning out to be an extraterrestrial was significant. Even so, Jason had faced unlucky bouts with heartache before, if slightly less paranormal in nature. Girls were great, and he loved spending time with them, but what truly motivated him to get out of bed every morning was martial arts. Every day presented a chance for self-improvement.

A warrior’s flames couldn’t be fed without challenge, so pushing himself was what Jason did. Every day. In his law classes, in the gym, and on the mats. This day was no different.

So, just as he would in any other tournament, he would challenge himself today. He wouldn’t let his breakup distract him. He hopped lightly on the balls of his feet, unleashed some powerful punches and kicks on his shadow, then stopped in front of a tall, worn mirror.

Staring at the buff, attractive, and definitely not weird man looking back at him, Jason offered a manly and respectful nod. So what if Tanya had turned out to be an alien? There were plenty of other fish in the sea... or aliens. In space?

Before he left the locker room, he reached into the pocket of his bright red hoodie and pulled out his phone. He thumbed through photos until he found an image of an image: a cellphone picture of an aging Polaroid. In that photo stood a man.

He was a man much like Jason—buff, attractive, and wearing a big, confident smile on his face. Just older. The man was giving a manly thumbs-up with one hand while flexing the muscles in his other arm. That man was Jason’s father, and he looked so cool.

Even years after Tommy Caulfield died a hero, Jason still missed him every day.

As he lifted the phone, Jason pressed two fingers to his forehead. He tapped his fingers against the device and stared at the digitized Polaroid, nodding confidently.

“Gonna win this one for you, Dad. Just like always.”

A soft ding signaled the tournament building’s PA system coming to life. “Fighters, report to the mats! The first bouts will start in five minutes!”

It was go time. Jason stripped off his red hoodie to reveal the regulation karate gi underneath. While it wasn’t red, at least it fit him well, and the red sweatband he wore over his forehead helped to compensate.

Girls always seemed to take notice when he wore his karate gi, and since he was currently single (after his girlfriend had tried to murder him and flown off to outer space in a UFO), he might as well give the available ladies a show.

But he couldn’t date yet. The thought of pursuing a relationship a day after being dumped by an alien felt absurd. Really, why would he? Girls and aliens were distractions he couldn’t afford right now. He had to focus on winning this tournament, using the prize money to pay off more of his loans, and then studying for his next big exam—a test he and Tanya would have prepared for together.

Enough of that! Jason tucked his phone, hoodie, wallet, and other belongings into his gym bag, then zipped it up. He swung the bag over his shoulder and strode out wearing nothing but soft, comfy, and red slippers. He planned to take those off before his next fight.

As he walked, a soft clinking from his gym bag reminded him of what else was inside.

It was the red crystal from the night before. After Tanya had flown away with her gray alien friends, the cool red outfit that had enveloped him during the fight had dissipated like smoke, leaving him in his previous clothes—but not just those.

He’d held the pulsing red crystal in his hand. The crystal that had been inside the space rock. Jason instinctively knew that if he pulled it out and squeezed, he would once again be wearing his incredible red suit, with the power to roundhouse kick a guy over a building!

But he wouldn’t touch the crystal today. He might never use it again, unless space aliens returned for another showdown. What was a warrior without respect for fairness and justice? It wouldn’t be right to fight other ordinary competitors while endowed with the power of his red suit.

But wow, people would be so impressed if he walked out and posed while wearing it! Maybe those fireworks would go off behind him again.

When he emerged into the spacious auditorium reserved for the fights, Jason found multiple blue gym mats laid out to accommodate several bouts simultaneously. Referees and fighters waited eagerly.

The metal bleachers on one side were filled with cheering fans. Most were parents and siblings of today’s fighters, but some spectated on the karate matches as others would on football.

There were girls, too. There were always girls, and as Jason stepped out, one girl in particular caught his eye.

She was a super cute blonde sporting a pink baseball cap, pink lipstick, and bright pink nails. She wore a tight white and pink striped sweater that accentuated her almost absurdly sexy figure, narrow-waisted yet blessedly chested. She even wore pink gym shorts.

Wow. That girl really loved pink! Given Jason’s affinity for red, he understood.

As their eyes met, the blonde in all the pink visibly gasped. With a wide grin, she raised one hand and waved, but in a peculiar manner. Instead of moving her hand back and forth, she kept it completely still, wiggling her fingers as if miming a bunch of worms.

That was... odd. Still, she was super cute, so a little weirdness was perfectly forgivable. The golden rule of attraction is that if they’re hot enough, women’s flaws and cringe-inducing habits are safe to write off as ‘quirks’.

Jason nodded in a cool and confident way he knew would impress her, then redirected his focus to the referee. He had just been called to the mats. His opponent was a muscular blond man he’d seen before.

Everything unfolded as it always did. Jason allowed his opponent to strike first, effortlessly blocking or dodging his attacks, and intentionally gave him a few free strikes to maintain the appearance of a fair fight. Then, Jason dismantled him. The first match ended almost instantly.

After bowing to his defeated opponent, Jason left the mats and grabbed a water bottle from his gym bag. He squirted water into his mouth and wiped his lips, then sat back to await the conclusion of the other fights, which would invariably take much longer than his.

Somehow, he could sense the eyes of that cute blonde in all the pink still focused on him. He casually glanced toward the bleachers and found her beaming at him. As their eyes locked, she blushed as if he had asked her out on a date. Her eyes were the bluest blue.

Even as his warrior’s heart pounded, urging him to approach and introduce himself, he maintained his discipline. He was doing karate after all! Girls always came after his martial arts tournaments. Sometimes literally.

Jason won his next bout, then the one that followed. As he approached his final match of the day—the showdown against the only other undefeated fighter in the auditorium—his confidence waned in light of today’s results.

The challenge was completely gone, and with it, the thrill. After pushing himself to his limits at the factory last night while battling Tanya in her sexy spider lady outfit, fighting these opponents felt akin to beating up little kids. Even without his red crystal’s help, this felt unfair.

Still, he wasn’t going to slow down or throw his fight. He had his dad to think about and his warrior’s pride. In his last match, Jason was pleased to find a worthy opponent for once.

Jason still defeated him in under two minutes. However, that was twice as long as any other fighter had lasted against him today. As the audience cheered (at least, those who didn’t know the fighters he’d conquered), Jason flexed and posed for the crowd, then accepted another trophy, adding to the dozens already back at his apartment.

He had so many of these. He was going to need to put them in storage soon. Tossing away a karate trophy felt wrong, even if it was just plastic painted gold. They were a part of his history!

After handing the trophy back to the referees (you didn’t actually get to keep the trophy; you just handed it back and got another one shipped to you a few days later), Jason zipped up his gym bag and tossed it over his shoulder.

He wouldn’t collect his winnings today either. He didn’t get paid in cash, at least not at the end of officially sanctioned fights. He’d receive a check later this month.

By the time Jason finished rummaging through his bag to ensure he had all his belongings, tossed it over his shoulder, and strolled toward the auditorium exit, most of the crowd had dispersed. Yet some remained. One, in particular, was the super cute blonde girl dressed in all pink.

She was waiting by the auditorium doors, lightly bouncing on her feet as if she were about to go for a run. The alluring jiggle of her chest puppies drew his eyes, but fearing she might see him checking her out, his eyes quickly lowered their gaze.

To complement the rest of her attire, he noted that she also wore white and pink tennis shoes. That confirmed once and for all that she knew how to put together a great outfit. Outfits always looked coolest when they were mostly composed of the same color.

As Jason approached, one of the fighters he’d beaten earlier said something to her. The woman smiled politely, but Jason could tell she wasn’t interested. Fortunately, before he could intervene, the guy shrugged and walked out the door. Jason felt relieved.

Still, as he neared the door, their eyes locked. Once again, the blonde’s face lit up as if he’d just offered her a bright pink cupcake. One tennis shoe actually lifted as the toe pressed into the floor and twisted adorably while she batted her pretty blue eyes.

He shouldn’t be considering this. He shouldn’t be talking with a cute girl right after a breakup, yet Tanya was gone, wasn’t she? She’d gone to outer space.

Under different circumstances, like if he had to break up with Tanya, Jason wouldn’t have simply... moved on. His innate sense of fairness was coupled with a robust sense of empathy. Dating a new girl right after ending things with the old one didn’t sit well with him.

Yet that wasn’t what transpired in the factory. Tanya hadn’t merely broken up with him; she had lied to him for six months! And then, she had tried to kill him!

He wanted to feel guilty about even considering talking to another girl right now, but honestly, he had a plethora of excuses to go on and do it anyway.

And it was clear this blonde chick in the pink outfit really liked karate.

Jason had never been the type to sulk or feel sorry for himself, so he wouldn’t indulge in that today. His dad wouldn’t want that, and his burning warrior’s heart couldn’t thrive if he allowed himself to wallow. He needed to look forward, not back, so that’s exactly what he would do.

He would indeed approach the bouncy, cute girl in the pink baseball cap.

As he opened his mouth to introduce himself from several yards away, her eyes widened. She stepped away from the door and hurried to close the remaining gap between them with a generous bounce that was undeniably appealing. Even in that snug sweater, she had a captivating sway to her gait as well. There was a lot of enticing movement, particularly in the boobs and hips departments.

She came to a stop a pace away, halting like a flightless bird after a short, waddling sprint, and looked up at him with a wide grin. Her pink lipstick made her lips appear full and perfect, so kissable that it was a shame they couldn’t kiss. At least... not until he introduced himself.

She eagerly extended one pink-fingernailed hand. “I’m Kitty Miaomiao!”

She pronounced it like “meow meow,” which sounded like something a cat might say. Her voice was like pink bubblegum—cheerful and confident—and Jason was drawn to it immediately. He shook her soft hand, careful to squeeze just enough for her to sense his confidence, and inclined his head.

“Jason Caulfield.”

“Oh, I know!” Kitty clasped her hands together beneath her chin and bounced up and down... in a very wondrous way. “You were awesome out there today!”

Jason grinned at her heartfelt praise. “Thank you. I always do my best.”

“I know! Me too!” Then, with her hands still clasped beneath her chin, Kitty leaned forward and lowered her voice. “So, where should we go to do it?”

He wasn’t quite ready for that question. “Um, what?”

“Where should we go? To talk? You know, about...” She beamed and jogged in place for a few seconds, exuberantly. “Oh, this is so exciting! I’ve never actually gotten to do this before.”

Still strange. Also, still alluring. The allure outweighed the oddness, and Kitty’s warm, genuine and inviting nature made Jason like her instinctively.

He wasn’t worried she was trying to lure him off to be ambushed by space aliens at an old factory. Not like Tanya. Kitty just felt like a good person—a person who wouldn’t don a sexy spider lady costume after six months together and try to kick his butt.

Still, her request was... odd. “What do you mean, talk?”

“About our crystals! And our future!”

Jason gawked. “What?”

She grinned and leaned in so close he could almost feel her breath. “Where’s yours?”

“My... crystal?”

She nodded eagerly. “I keep mine in my back pocket!”

“Oh. Really?” He hadn’t checked to see if she had pockets on the back of her pink gym shorts, and looking now would just be rude. She’d probably think he was checking out her ass. And he definitely would.

Kitty raised one hand and beckoned with a finger. “C’mon. We’ll talk in the alley.”

As she spun and pranced away, Jason finally had the chance to examine her rump after all. For pockets. She had a nice ass—the firm, shapely backside of a girl who ran and took care of herself. Her legs were muscular yet slim, like a runner’s, and her pink socks only rose to mid-calf.

But there were no pockets.

Kitty opened the door, stepped out, and glanced back. “Well, c’mon!”

Jason hesitated for half a second. While another man might have questioned Kitty’s motives, he didn’t see how she could possibly take him in a fight. Also, she was hot, so that played into his decision-making.

He followed Kitty out the door and down the street, then frowned as she diverted into the first dark alley they encountered. He debated following her into that—tracking a girl down a dark alley would make him a stalker, wouldn’t it?—but she’d invited him.

What if there were bad guys in the alley? They could attack her. He couldn’t allow that!

So, Jason followed Kitty Miaomiao down the alley between two-story buildings until he found her bouncing excitedly on the far side of a big, full dumpster. The smell wasn’t great, but he ignored it. Then, with a big grin, Kitty reached back... and pulled out a pink crystal.

Where had she hidden that? Did she have hidden pockets?

As Kitty proudly displayed her crystal, she grinned. “Where’s yours?”

Jason decided to cleverly stall for time. “Uh...”

For the first time since they’d met, Kitty pouted. After all her cheerful smiles and sexy bounces, seeing her pout was just the saddest thing in the world.

A girl as cute as Kitty Miaomiao should never have to pout. Jason felt like a jerk for playing any part in that.

“Oh, c’mon!” Kitty clasped her hands together beneath her chin, swaying her hips in a playful, bouncy manner and batting her warm blue eyes at him. “I showed you mine. Show me yours! You don’t have to be shy, Jason. Trust me, I’ve seen it all before!”

She was referring to the crystal, right? Yes. Definitely the crystal.

What was the harm? Kitty’s glowing pink crystal looked just like his, except for its color, and as he pondered this, his burning warrior’s heart ignited anew.

What if Kitty’s crystal was just like his? What if she could also don a cool outfit... and take on aliens?

That meant, if he went with her, they could battle aliens together!

Without further hesitation, Jason unzipped and whipped it out. His crystal, that is. From his gym bag. Kitty had asked to see it, and he didn’t want to ever witness her pout again.

As he held up his glowing red crystal, Kitty purred, “Ooooh. It’s almost as pretty as mine!”

Jason nodded solemnly. “You definitely are pretty.”

Kitty blushed a bright crimson. She twirled a finger through her blonde hair as the toe of one pink tennis shoe dug into the cement. “Oh, thank you! But...” She took a very deep breath. “Would you still think that if I took off my hat?”

Jason frowned. “Why wouldn’t you be pretty if you took off your hat?”

“Because...” Her wide blue eyes locked onto his as her pink lips pressed together. “Well, what if you don’t like them?”

“Like what?” He found himself impossibly curious now.

He also felt the urge to pull her into a warm embrace. Her lack of self-confidence was almost as disheartening as her pouting. No girl this pretty and sweet and gloriously bouncy should feel insecure.

After one more deep breath that was really distracting, she focused.

“All right. Gonna take it off now. Gotta show you everything to make you come.”

Jason swallowed at the way that was phrased. His penis punched upward once like a 1950s factory worker giving the ‘up yours’ gesture to his boss’s retreating silhouette. “Um, you really don’t have to—”

Without another word, Kitty whipped off her pink baseball cap... revealing the cutest pair of pink and white cat ears he’d ever seen. These weren’t just the kind you put on a headband. These ears twitched, wiggled, and were incredibly fuzzy. And real.

Jason wanted to tickle and stroke them until Kitty passed out from giggling, but he suppressed the urge. As she watched him with concern, Kitty pressed her pink lips together.

“So...”

His next words exploded out of him. “Kitty, your ears are awesome!”

Like a lightbulb igniting in the dark, Kitty lit up. “Oh, you really think so?”

“Yes! Are they...” He nearly asked if they were real, but, of course, they must be. He wasn’t going to ask a girl if those were real. That was how a guy got himself slapped.

Then he found another question. “Hey, are you an alien?” That wasn’t much better, actually.

She grinned her brightest grin. “Wow, how’d you know?”

“Oh! Um... well, I guess it was the ears.”

“Right! Of course!” Kitty bounced again, then smiled and grabbed his hand.

He gawked at her cute hand wrapped around his own, his eyes crossing briefly to avoid glancing toward her jiggling breasts. As she stepped closer and looked up at him with her eager, pouty pink lips, he felt himself even more drawn to her.

“So?” She watched him hopefully. “Do you wanna come or what?”

He considered her question very carefully. “I mean… is that safe?”

She winked and took a step back. “C’mon. You’re going to love it. And once we’re there, I promise I can explain everything that happened at the factory last night.”

Kitty was an alien. She probably wanted to take him to her spaceship. He didn’t have a great history with alien ships, given that his girlfriend had left in the last one he’d seen, but maybe Kitty’s was different. Despite having no real reason to trust her, Jason felt no desire to run away.

Kitty was cute. She might be a good alien wanting to fight off the bad ones. And a spaceship sounded exciting.

“All right, Kitty. I’m ready to go. With you. To your spaceship or whatever.”

She jumped so high, with her hands in the air and her sweater stretched tight, that he was certain even the best cheer squads on the planet would envy her. Then, as Kitty landed, she tapped her wrist. With a shimmer, a pink wristwatch appeared.

Before she could touch it, she gasped and pointed. “Don’t forget your bag!”

Right! He had a gym bag, and it held all his stuff. He wouldn’t want to leave that in a dark alley. He picked it up.

Kitty beckoned him closer. “Okay, now put your arms around me and hug me tight! Once we get you authorized, you can come as often as you want. But since this will be your first time, I really, really need you to come with me.”

She was phrasing that in a really strange way. Still... why not?

Jason embraced her, in a professional manner. This was professional hugging. Kitty pushed against his chest, warm and soft, wrapping her arms around him. As he stared down at her pink and twitchy ears, Jason somehow resisted the urge to blow on them.

Still holding him, Kitty tapped her wristwatch behind his back. “Here we go!”

The whole world turned to water and zipped down a drain.

Jason gasped as his surroundings transformed into a swirl of tingling lights. He felt like his stomach was going to pop out of his mouth. Then, the odd sensation came to an end.

As Kitty released him, Jason glanced down at himself. He was still wearing his karate gi, and he still carried his gym bag with all his stuff. Yet… he was definitely not on planet Earth.

As Jason looked past Kitty, he gaped once more. They were inside a metal structure of some kind, and a massive window loomed behind her. He saw the vastness of space, with Earth suspended among the stars, but most importantly, he noticed the brightly lit white, rocky sand just outside the window, along with craters.

Jason exclaimed, “Golly gee, Kitty, we’re on the moon!”

(To be continued on March 9)

I hope you enjoyed this peek at perhaps the silliest book I've ever written. It turned out to be a load of fun, and we're soon going to be collaborating on a sequel!